Gaus and his group continued down the winding path of the maze. As they moved forward, they noticed several pools of water alongside the hedges. Two of the boys in the group murmured their confusion.
"Why are there pools here, in the middle of this maze?" one of them asked aloud.
Gaus shot them an impatient look, his voice firm. "Don't waste time wondering about things that don't matter. Our objective is to reach the center as quickly as possible. Let's keep moving." Time was critical, and Gaus had no intention of being slowed down by distractions.
Ray, however, lagged a few steps behind, his gaze fixed on the pools. Unlike the others, he noticed the clusters of small, greenish flowers surrounding the edges of the water. He recognized them instantly, their characteristics and properties fresh in his mind from his studies in a botany book. Though these flowers looked innocuous, Ray knew their true nature: they were sleep-inducing if ingested. With this knowledge, he bent down and carefully gathered a few, figuring they might come in handy later.
However, something peculiar struck him. These flowers were thriving, yet they needed direct sunlight to survive. Considering the height and density of the hedges, there was no way for sunlight to penetrate here. Despite that, the flowers looked perfectly healthy. Ray's eyes narrowed as he began to wonder if what they were seeing was even real. Could the entire labyrinth be an illusion? Although the idea seemed far-fetched, he couldn't shake the thought as he joined the group.
The others, unaware of Ray's discovery, continued moving forward. One of the boys, noticing Ray lagging behind, turned and called out, "Hey, move it! We don't have time to wait around for you."
Ray straightened, stuffing the flowers into his pocket, and jogged to catch up. Overhearing their chatter, another boy grumbled, "Now he's stopping to pick flowers? Seriously?"
Gaus, unfazed, kept his steady pace and snapped, "Less complaining, more walking." His tone silenced the murmurs as the group pressed on.
After a few minutes, they reached what looked like another dead end. Gaus frowned, then gestured to the hedge wall ahead. "This might be another hidden path. Let's try pushing through." With that, the group advanced, pressing into the dense foliage as they'd done before.
But this time, no matter how far they walked, there seemed to be no end. The wall stretched on endlessly, twisting and turning, leading them deeper with no sign of escape. Minutes passed, and still, there was nothing but more hedge, each step a reminder of how deeply lost they might be. Finally, Gaus halted and turned, frustration simmering in his eyes. "This isn't leading anywhere," he said, his voice echoing slightly in the eerie silence. "We must've taken a wrong path. Let's head back."
One by one, they turned back, retracing their steps until they emerged from the hedge wall and found themselves back and they continued walking back towards the intersection. The pools of water were still there, yet now the air felt different. Tension seemed to thicken around them, and everyone halted as an eerie sensation washed over them.
Gaus stiffened, a chill running down his spine as he felt an aura approaching. He lifted his gaze, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the top of the hedge wall to their left. Slowly, enormous legs appeared, then the rest of the creature followed. It was an immense spider, each movement deliberate as it crept down from its perch. Its smooth, rounded body glistened under the muted light. The abdomen, jet black and lustrous, was the most prominent part, rounded and slightly domed, giving it a deadly elegance. Two vivid red stripes ran the length of its body, each glistening like fresh wounds.
Its legs—eight, long, and spindly—were dark, almost matte black compared to the glossy body, but no less intimidating. Each leg ended in fine, hair-like points that scraped against the hedge wall with a faint, unsettling sound. The spider's front legs were slightly longer than the others, curved as though ready to strike. And then, there were its eyes. Eight of them, arranged in two rows, each a deep, hollow black. They seemed to absorb the light around them rather than reflect it, giving the creature an unsettling, otherworldly gaze.
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The spider paused, seeming to assess them, its many eyes fixed directly on Gaus and his group. It moved slowly, lowering itself into the path, all eight legs unfolding with a grace both terrifying and hypnotic as it centered itself in their way, its senses attuned to the group.
As the massive spider finished sizing up the group, it crouched, preparing to pounce from the hedge wall.Gaus, understanding the gravity of their situation, didn't waste a second.
"Quickly, draw your swords!" he commanded, his voice steady but sharp.
In a flash, the three boys unsheathed their blades, the metallic scrape echoing through the narrow pathway. Ray, standing just behind them, held his dagger low in his left hand, adopting a ready stance.
The spider sprang forward, a blur of movement as it lunged straight for Gaus and the two boys closest to him. Its many legs extended, creating a web of spiked limbs in the air as it descended. The three of them swung their swords, aiming at the beast's body, but the spider deflected their strikes with a brutal swipe of its front legs.
Clang! Clang!
The blades met the spider's limbs with sharp metallic clashes, but the impact threw Gaus and the two boys backward, sending them sprawling across the hard ground. Ray observed, his mind racing, his sharp eyes tracking the spider's every move. His memory flashed to a page in one of his books, one detailing creatures like this one. The markings, the aggressive stance…
"Watch out!" Ray shouted to the others, his voice cutting through the tension. "It's venomous—don't let it bite you!"
The boy next to Ray cursed under his breath, glancing at the monstrous creature before them. "Great! Just what we needed—a venomous spider."
The spider's multiple eyes glinted, watching them with renewed interest as if amused by their struggle. The air was thick with tension, and what had started as a dire situation now felt utterly hopeless. Rising from the ground, Gaus took command again, clenching his jaw.
"We need to go for its legs. You two—distract it. The rest of us will attack," he instructed.
Ray and the boy beside him sprang into action, moving in opposite directions to draw the spider's attention. Ray aimed for the left, keeping low and swift as he dodged one of the creature's sharp legs, while the other boy went right, charging toward the spider's flank. But just as Ray closed in, the spider swung one of its limbs with a speed that was almost impossible to follow.
Thud!
Ray was struck and sent hurtling into the hedge wall. He crashed through the dense foliage, disappearing into the thick leaves as if swallowed whole by the maze. Meanwhile, the other boy darted towards the spider's right side, raising his sword to strike. He aimed for the creature's leg, hoping to sever it, but the spider anticipated his move and shifted with unnatural agility, its fangs flashing as it sunk them into his shoulder.
A sickly violet liquid seeped from the spider's fangs, dripping onto the boy's flesh as he screamed in agony. The venom was swift, searing through his veins like fire, and he collapsed to the ground, writhing as the poison took hold.
Gaus and the remaining two boys clenched their weapons, their expressions grim as they witnessed the horrific sight. With a surge of resolve, Gaus yelled, "Now! While it's distracted!"
They leaped forward, aiming their swords at the spider's legs in a concerted strike. The blades clashed against the hardened limbs with jarring, metallic clangs, managing to wound the creature, but not deeply enough to sever its legs. The spider shrieked, a grating sound that reverberated through the maze, and reared back, thrashing as the boys retreated quickly, wary of another attack.
Meanwhile, Ray, who had been thrown into the hedge wall, got back up, brushing off leaves as he prepared to rejoin the fight. Strangely, he felt no pain. His mind flickered back to the earlier thought that this maze, the spider, all of it, could be an illusion. If it's all an illusion, he mused, then maybe the pain isn't real either. - Perhaps the only reason I'm unhurt is because I understand that.
The realization settled in his mind, solidifying his suspicion that the danger here might not be entirely physical. The spider, the walls, the venom—they held power, but only if one believed they could harm. A strong mind, he reasoned, could break through an illusion as potent as this one.
With renewed clarity, he broke through the hedge, emerging back into the clearing. But what greeted him was a scene that struck him to his core. One boy lay behind the spider, covered in the dripping purple venom, writhing in agony. Gaus and the other two lay on the ground, struggling to rise, each of them sporting fresh wounds. The spider advanced, its deadly fangs bared, ready to strike.
Without a second thought, Ray shouted, "Hey! Over here!" His voice rang out, echoing through the twisted maze.
The spider whipped around, its many eyes locking onto him. The monstrous creature, now fully focused, prepared to lunge. Ray stood his ground, his dagger gripped tightly, as he prepared to face the deadly beast alone.